Following recent feedback from residents, new barriers have been installed on St Annes beach clearly identifying the area in which dogs are not allowed between Good Friday and 30th September.
Since installation, feedback has been positive, and the implementation of the signage and barriers has proved a success in enabling people visiting the beach with their dogs to avoid the amenity section.
The amenity beach is located between the slipway for St Annes Lifeboat Station and the northern end of North Promenade Car Park (by the Danfo toilets) extending seaward to the mean low water mark.
The exclusion zone was introduced in 2017 to work towards an inclusive facility in Fylde for everyone to enjoy. The area allows for a ‘dog free’ section of the beach for anyone who wishes to visit the beach during the warmer summer months who may not necessarily be comfortable around dogs.
The exclusion zone also helps to achieve one of the key requirements of the Fylde Corporate Plan to maintain the Keep Britain Tidy Seaside Award whilst continuing to work towards obtaining the Blue Flag status for St Annes beach. To achieve the Seaside Award, one of Keep Britain Tidy’s key criteria is that at resort-style beaches, dogs must be excluded from the award area of the beach during the bathing season. The introduction of the dog exclusion zone, amongst other key requirements, has helped us receive this nationally recognised award.
Councillor Michael Sayward, Chairman of the Tourism and Leisure Committee said: “It’s a fantastic space for families and young children to play in a safe environment. I’m happy to see we are catering for all our visitors with a dog exclusion zone whilst retaining a huge amount of space for dog lovers (like myself) and we can continue our work towards blue flag accreditation.”
Councillor Roger Small, Chairman of the Operational Management Committee added: “I am pleased to see the new signs now in place that clearly mark out the exclusion area for dogs during the summer season. We have listened to as many people as possible in assisting dog walkers to identify areas they shouldn’t stray into and are confident that these very clear and visible markers do just that. Again, we would ask that people cooperate so as to allow the beach to be enjoyed by all.”
We’ve very proud of our coastline and residents, volunteers and council officers work tirelessly to keep our beaches clean, safe and beautiful. Our goal is to attain a Blue Flag status, the international quality mark for beaches and the installation of the barriers will help us to achieve this award.
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